What Alga Plus does

AlgaPlus (legal name: ALGAPLUS - Produção e Comercialização de Algas e Seus Derivados, S.A.) is a Portuguese aquaculture-biotechnology company founded in 2011 by two biologists and headquartered at the PCI Creative Science Park in Ílhavo, Portugal. The firm operates a land-based Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) system that combines macroalgae cultivation with organic fish farming (sea bass and sea bream) using salt water on non-arable land reclaimed from former salt pans in the Ria de Aveiro. It maintains a complete in-house production cycle — hatchery/nursery, cultivation, and processing (washing, salting, drying, grinding, packaging) — for seven Atlantic macroalgae species: Ulva sp., Palmaria palmata, Gracilaria sp., Codium tomentosum, Porphyra dioica, Porphyra umbilicalis, Fucus vesiculosus, and Chondrus crispus, including a proprietary Atlantic Nori hatchery and a maintained BIOBANK.

The company's commercial offering is structured across four brands: Alga+ (bulk B2B seaweed biomass to European certified partners), Tok de Mar (BIO-certified consumer food products for organic retail and HORECA), Sea Originals (wellness and talassotherapy products for spas and hotels), and Algaessence (co-branded nutritional supplements with Allmicroalgae combining macro- and microalgae). It also generates revenue through custom biomass production and consulting services for macroalgae cultivation development. With exports to 20+ countries representing over 75% of volume, certifications across BIO (since 2015), HACCP (2016), COSMOS (2020), and V-Label (2025), and installed capacity of 200 tonnes/year on a 6,650 m² cultivation footprint, AlgaPlus positions itself as a European leader in BIO-certified, land-based Atlantic macroalgae production.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time product sales of biomass and finished seaweed products in multiple formats (fresh, brined, dehydrated whole, flakes, powder) to food, cosmetics, animal nutrition, and retail/HORECA customers, supplemented by licensing/co-branding income via Algaessence and professional services revenue from custom biomass production and R&D consulting. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer e-commerce (algaplus.lojasonlinectt.pt), B2B bulk sales to European certified partners, specialized organic retail, and spa/hospitality channels, with marketing support from industry events, EU R&D consortium participation, and earned media coverage.

Name

Alga Plus

Legal name

ALGAPLUS - Produção e Comercialização de Algas e Seus Derivados, S.A.

Website

https://algaplus.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AlgaPlus is a Portuguese biotechnology company operating land-based Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture systems to produce organic-certified Atlantic macroalgae across seven species, serving food, cosmetics, animal nutrition, and retail customers in 20+ countries via four brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquaculture / Seaweed Production

NAICS

Aquaculture (1125)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Seaweed & Algae Aquaculture (incl. microalgae) (AFAEAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Biostimulants & Plant Health Biologicals (Microbial/Non-microbial) (AFABAEAK)

Keywords

• Organic seaweed production
• Macroalgae cultivation
• Seaweed biomass supply
• Aquaculture consulting services
• Bio-certified macroalgae

Headquarters

HQ city

Ílhavo

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Seaweed Biomass and Product Sales: ALGAplus generates revenue through the sale of macroalgae biomass and finished seaweed products in various formats (fresh, brined, dehydrated whole, flakes, powder) under its own brands (Alga+, Tok de Mar, Sea Originals, Algaessence) and bulk B2B sales. Revenue is primarily generated from the Food and Cosmetics industries.
2. Co-branding and Licensing (Algaessence): The Algaessence brand is a co-branding partnership with Allmicroalgae for combined macroalgae and microalgae products sold as nutritional supplements, generating revenue through product sales in the health/nutrition market.
3. Custom Production and R&D Consulting Services: ALGAplus provides consulting for new species production and technical/scientific support for macroalgae cultivation development. They produce customized macroalgae biomass to order, whether for a specific species or biomass with specific composition requirements.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ALGAplus produces and commercializes BIO-certified macroalgae (seaweed) biomass cultivated in a land-based Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) system in Ílhavo, Portugal. It sells 7 Atlantic species (Ulva sp., Palmaria palmata, Gracilaria sp., Codium tomentosum, Porphyra umbilicalis, Porphyra dioica, Fucus vesiculosus, Chondrus crispus) in fresh, brined, dehydrated whole, flakes, and powder formats to food, cosmetics, and animal nutrition industries, alongside consumer food, wellness, and nutritional supplement products. It also provides custom species production and technical/scientific consulting for macroalgae cultivation development.

Product overview

ALGAplus is a sustainable macroalgae producer operating since 2012 with a multi-brand portfolio. The company offers four distinct brands: Alga+ for bulk seaweed sales, Tok de Mar for BIO-certified consumer food products, Sea Originals for wellness products, and Algaessence for cobranded nutritional products with Allmicroalgae. ALGAplus produces and commercializes 7 macroalgae species from the Atlantic including Ulva sp. (sea lettuce), Palmaria palmata (dulse), Gracilaria sp., Codium tomentosum, Porphyra dioica, Porphyra umbilicalis, Fucus vesiculosus, and Chondrus crispus (Irish moss), available in multiple formats (fresh, fresh in salt, dehydrated whole, flakes, and powder). The company also provides consulting services for macroalgae cultivation and operates an internally developed hatchery/nursery system and land-based modular cultivation system. Products serve human food, animal nutrition, cosmetics, and agriculture applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Alga+: Brand for bulk sale of macroalgae produced at ALGAplus facilities or acquired from European partners with biological certification and sustainable wild harvesting.
• Tok de Mar
• Sea Originals
• Algaessence

Products and services

• Ulva sp. (Alface do mar / Sea lettuce) Green Atlantic macroalgae species produced by ALGAplus in a BIO-certified land-based IMTA system, sold in multiple formats (fresh, fresh in salt, dehydrated whole, flakes, powder) for food, cosmetics, and animal nutrition applications.
• Palmaria palmata (Botelho comprido / Dulse) Red Atlantic macroalgae species known as Dulse, produced by ALGAplus and sold in fresh, dehydrated, flakes, and powder formats for food and nutrition applications.
• Gracilaria sp. (Cabelo de velha) Red Atlantic macroalgae species produced by ALGAplus in BIO-certified land-based IMTA cultivation, sold in fresh, fresh salted, dehydrated, flakes, and powder formats.
• Codium tomentosum (Chorão do mar) Green Atlantic macroalgae species (also called Velvet fingers) produced by ALGAplus in BIO-certified land-based IMTA cultivation, sold in fresh, dehydrated, flakes, and powder formats.
• Porphyra umbilicalis (Erva patinha / Atlantic nori) Red Atlantic macroalgae species (Atlantic nori) cultivated by ALGAplus from its proprietary hatchery and nursery, sold in fresh, dehydrated, flakes, and powder formats for food applications.
• Porphyra dioica (Erva patinha / Atlantic nori) Red Atlantic macroalgae species (Atlantic nori) cultivated by ALGAplus from its proprietary hatchery and nursery, sold in fresh, dehydrated, flakes, and powder formats.
• Fucus vesiculosus (Fava do mar / Bladderwrack) Brown Atlantic macroalgae species (Bladderwrack) produced by ALGAplus and sold in fresh, dehydrated, flakes, and powder formats for food, cosmetics, and animal nutrition applications.
• Chondrus crispus (Musgo Irlandês / Irish Moss) Red Atlantic macroalgae species (Irish Moss, Florideophyceae) produced by ALGAplus and sold in fresh, fresh in salt, dehydrated, flakes, and powder formats.
• Alga+ (bulk B2B seaweed line) B2B bulk seaweed line for selling macroalgae produced by ALGAplus or acquired from European partners with biological certification and sustainable wild harvesting, targeted at food, cosmetics, and animal nutrition companies.
• Tok de Mar (consumer food brand) Consumer food brand based on BIO-certified macroalgae, distributed through specialized retail, organic grocery stores, and restaurants (HORECA).
• Sea Originals (wellness brand) Wellness brand based on algae, including talassotherapy kits and other seaweed-based wellness products, distributed through specialized retail, SPAs, and hotel units.
• Algaessence (cobranded nutritional supplements with Allmicroalgae) Cobranded nutritional supplement brand with Allmicroalgae, combining macroalgae and microalgae produced in Portugal with BIO certification.
• Consulting services for macroalgae production Consulting for new species production and technical/scientific support for macroalgae cultivation development according to client needs, including customized macroalgae biomass production (specific species or biomass with specific composition requirements).

Quantifiable outcome

• Cultivation area expanded from 700 m² (2016) to 6,650 m² (2022), with capacity reaching 200 tonnes/year by 2023.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CIIMAR (Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021CIIMAR is a marine research institute that is a co-promoter in the SølKelp project along with ALGAplus, contributing scientific expertise to seaweed cultivation research and development.
• Instituto Hidrográfico (Portugal)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Instituto Hidrográfico participates as a co-promoter in the SølKelp project, contributing marine and hydrographic expertise to support seaweed cultivation activities in Portuguese waters.
• in2sea - Inovação no Mar, LDA (Portugal)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021in2sea is a Portuguese marine innovation company that participates as a co-promoter in the SølKelp project alongside ALGAplus.
• Nofima AS (Norway)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2019Nofima AS is the consortium leader for the AquaVitae project (Horizon 2020, total investment €8.75M), in which ALGAplus participates. The project aims to introduce new species, products, and processes in Atlantic aquaculture value chains.
• GreenCoLab (Laboratório Colaborativo)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019GreenCoLab is a Collaborative Laboratory co-founded by ALGAplus in 2019 along with 5 other entities. It focuses on green biotechnology research and development, supporting ALGAplus's R&D activities and innovation in seaweed applications.
• AllmicroalgaecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019ALGAplus developed the Algaessence brand in co-branding with Allmicroalgae, creating unique and innovative nutritional products combining macroalgae and microalgae produced in Portugal with BIO certification.
• PROALGA (Associação Portuguesa de Produtores de Algas)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018PROALGA is the Portuguese Association of Algae Producers, founded by ALGAplus in 2018 along with 2 other companies. ALGAplus actively participates in this industry association to represent and advance the Portuguese seaweed sector.
• Seaweed Solutions (Norway)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeaweed Solutions is a Norwegian partner in the SølKelp project consortium, collaborating with ALGAplus on North-South seaweed cultivation strategies. The partnership focuses on expanding kelp hatchery capabilities in Portugal and transferring cultivation techniques for Palmaria palmata to Norway.
• Seaweed for EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeaweed for Europe is an industry association and partner of ALGAplus, working to promote and advance the European seaweed sector.
• Bluebio AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBluebio Alliance is a blue biotechnology association and partner of ALGAplus, working to promote innovation and development in the blue bioeconomy sector.
• Aquacultores.ptminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAquacultores.pt is the Portuguese aquaculture association that counts ALGAplus as a member, working on sustainable aquaculture development in Portugal.
• Escola AzulminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEscola Azul is an educational partner of ALGAplus, contributing to the dissemination of knowledge about marine resources and sustainable aquaculture practices.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Mara Seaweed: Scottish seaweed brand producing edible seaweed products for retail and foodservice. Comparable to ALGAplus's Tok de Mar brand in the consumer food seaweed category, with a similar focus on sustainable, traceable European-origin macroalgae for the UK and European markets.
• Atlantic Sea Farms: US-based kelp farming company operating in the North Atlantic, supplying sustainable kelp to food brands and retailers. Comparable to ALGAplus on kelp/nori cultivation, sustainability positioning, and supplying branded seaweed ingredients into consumer food channels.
• Acadian Seaplants: Canadian diversified seaweed company — one of the largest macroalgae producers globally — harvesting and cultivating seaweed for food, agriculture (biostimulants), animal feed, and cosmetics. Comparable to ALGAplus on multi-species seaweed production and downstream applications, with much larger scale and broader crop portfolio.
• Oceanium: UK-based seaweed biotechnology company developing land-based cultivation systems and seaweed-derived ingredients for food, pet food, and bioplastics. Highly comparable to ALGAplus on land-based IMTA technology and on the strategy of moving seaweed biomass up the value chain into ingredients and consumer products.
• Seaweed Solutions: Norwegian macroalgae company specializing in kelp hatchery, cultivation, and biomass supply. Directly comparable to ALGAplus as a European, land/sea-based seaweed producer with R&D consortia involvement; the two companies actively collaborate on the SølKelp project while competing for similar B2B seaweed buyers.
• The Seaweed Company: Dutch/Ireland-based seaweed producer supplying food, feed, and cosmetics applications across Europe. Comparable to ALGAplus as a multi-application European seaweed supplier with both B2B ingredient and B2C product lines and active involvement in EU R&D projects.

Emerging players

• Cascadia Seaweed: Canadian seaweed cultivation and processing company producing kelp and other macroalgae for food, agriculture, and ecosystem services. Comparable to ALGAplus on land- and sea-based seaweed cultivation and a focus on sustainability certification, though operating at smaller commercial scale.
• Bretagne Biotechnologie Marine (BBM): French marine biotechnology company developing bioactive ingredients from seaweed for cosmetics and health applications. Comparable to ALGAplus's Sea Originals and Algaessence lines on seaweed-derived bioactive ingredients for cosmetics and nutritional markets, particularly in France.

Broad incumbents

• CP Kelco (Ingredion): Global leader in hydrocolloid production (carrageenan, alginate, pectin, xanthan) sourcing seaweed biomass for extraction. A BROAD_INCUMBENT relative to ALGAplus: it operates at the downstream extraction/processing stage of the seaweed value chain and is both a potential large buyer of ALGAplus's biomass (especially Chondrus and Gracilaria species) and a long-term competitor for seaweed-derived ingredient sales.

Others

• Allmicroalgae: Portuguese microalgae (Chlorella, Nannochloropsis) producer co-branding the Algaessence nutritional supplement line with ALGAplus. A strategic OTHERS peer: directly named partner rather than a competitor, with complementary microalgae capabilities that extend ALGAplus's product portfolio into nutritional supplements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ALGAplus
• Facebookfacebook.com/ALGAplus.pt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/algaplus-lda

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alga Plus